It's becoming clear that there are no genres Tchaikovsky can't master. Over the past few years, he's written across the various speculative genres and sub-genres, and each time he offers something new and engaging. The same can be said for CITY OF LAST CHANCES - a stand-alone novel, populated by varied and three-dimensional characters. The plot is engaging and full of intrigue, and I was hooked from very early on.

If you haven't read Tchaikovsky, yet, then I strongly urge you to do so ASAP. A master of SFF.

This book is part of a series and quite complicated to get into if you're not ready for a heavy read.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

DNF - This book is DENSE. Which I should reasonably have known going into it given Tchaikovsky's other works but I found this a lot more difficult to follow compared to his other works that I've read. There's a lot of characters and a lot of POVs, and I do think I will enjoy it if I read it at the right time, but it just hasn't been working for me so far.

The cover is gorgeous, which is a juxtaposition to the story inside, in terms of atmosphere, storytelling and content. Whilst I appreciated the themes of oppression, revolution and it's look on classism, I found that it tended to be quite slow at times. I couldn't attach myself to the characters as wholly as I'd like, but each one embodied a particular trait that you can tell Tchaikovsky was passionate about exploring. Overall, I enjoyed this for its philosophical reminiscing more than the plot or characters itself, and I found myself thinking about its question well after I put it down

This book was a good mix of everything I like in a story. Mystery, magic, weird stuff happening. The slight like polictical aspect in the story. I really enjoyed reading it. Eventhough I was a bit late, I still enjoyed it a lot!

This was not for me, however I could see this was well written, and the world-building was phenomenal.

A masterpiece written by the most prolific British author. This was a genre bending approach to fantasy, appealing characters with whom I fell in love, page-turning prose and an engaging story to bring it all to the surface. I loved every page.

This is a beautifully designed book, which was enjoyable to read, but took way longer than it usually does for me to read a book I enjoy.

There was a little bit too much of world building, however I do understand that that is a big part of an epic fantasy, so it could just be a personal dislike.

Overall, I really liked it! Could just use an abridged version maybe.

Epic fantasy. Ilmar is the city of last chances where the Perfecture tries to rule over the conquered peoples by enforcing their version of perfection. But humans, by nature aren't perfect, especially when they live within shouting distance of the Wood leading to distant realms, the Reproach where ancient bloodlines run mad and the demon-driven mercantile district.
When a special ward is stolen leading to the death of one of the Heads of the Perfecture suddenly the whole City is in uproar and deeds and misdeeds filter through every section of the City.

This is possibly the longest it has ever taken me to read a book I was genuinely enjoying. I was listening to it on audible and had to do it to fits and starts but this didn't lessen the story at all. I loved the way the narrator was able to embody all of the characters and help them to be differentiated by their tone and accents. He did a fantastic job with such a diverse group of characters. Huge Props to David Thorpe.


The cast list is huge and each character has their own motivations and aspirations that intertwine in a way that makes the story feel even more epic. The warring factions matched the intricacies of politics and social justice that permeate any conquered territory and you couldn't help but be entranced by the overall web.

Adrian Tchaikovsky did an amazing job and I look forward to reading more of his fantasy as well as his sci fi.

I absolutely love fantasy as a genre; however, I did find it incredibly difficult to get into this book. The world building was dense and complication to understand and I almost dnf’d a few chapters in. Although, that being said I am glad I finished it as the story was really interesting and the magic system was a beautiful but sinister concepts! I look forward to reading Tchaikovsky’s other works.

As a huge fan of Tchaikovsky's sci fi novels Children of Time & Children of Ruin, I have been disappointed with my inability to get absorbed in his fantasy. I read four books in the Shadows of the Apt series, but didn't feel the urge to continue with it. A new world, another chance, I thought with this one, but it just didn't grip me, even though I did enjoy some of the details. I tried many times to get into this book but I'm having to DNF unfortunately. Something about his fantasy just doesn't grip me the way his sci fi does. I'm chalking it up to personal reasons though, rather than the quality of the work; the world seemed intricate and interesting, and I did really like the concept of saints being kept alive by peoples belief in them, and the diverse and odd cast of characters.

My first Adrian Tchaikovsky and maybe my last. Just a little too dense for me to enjoy, and too many shifting perspectives.

The story and concept were interesting, but it was hard to follow with the constant switch in characters.

I really, really tried liking this book, because I could see the development of a great story. But the start was so intricate, and the characters were not appealing, that after many tries I just gave up on continuing this book.

I believe there are many people that will love this, it just wasn't for me.

I've been dying to try Adrian Tchaikovsky, so I was absolutely thrilled when my request for City of Last Chances was approved. Plus, that cover. *chef's kiss*

I don't know that I would recommend this book to readers who are just starting to get into adult high fantasy. The worldbuilding isn't spoon fed to you, and it does take a bit to really become immersed in the story, but once you do, it's totally worth it. I found the first few chapters particularly intriguing, which really threw me into the story. There are a lot of characters, but they were all a lot of fun to read from and learn more about. Also, mysterious, dangerous forests are a trope I will read again and again, so that certainly contributed to my enjoyment of the book.

I would definitely recommend City of Last Chances to readers of adult fantasy who are looking for a story that feels fresh and a world that feels unique.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. No lightweight fantasy this. You have to work a bit at this one, but you will be rewarded by innovative world building and the fleshed out inhabitants of Ilmer. I say innovative world building, but you kind of find yourself unpicking it through character perspectives and interaction rather than it being served on a plate.
When a powerful and important item goes missing, a city on the edge is pushed further and the cracks are pushed wider by the actions of the parties involved. And we see this through the eyes and perspective of a number of citizens and those with distinct agendas.
A book that will stay with you for a long time.

Will say right off the bat that while this is worth the read, you need a certain measure of fortitude to get through this book. 😅 Dense in every way, complex and verbose, this is a gritty, grimy urban-ish fantasy with a hefty cast of characters and both an occupational force’s and ancient and ousted royalty’s hierarchies and histories to learn.
The story itself is impressively crafted, with distinct character voices and storylines which are expertly woven together. There were quite a few repetitive words in the first third of the book which is a big pet peeve of mine. Other than that the writing was sharp and intelligent, with a level of detail that seemingly intentionally slows you down to take it all in. At times this got a bit tedious, that and a few repetitive action scenarios were my biggest obstacle with the book.
Stand out character for me were Yasnic & Ruslav (and God 🤪✌🏼) who were endearing to begin with and kept surprising me. I enjoyed the tonal and cultural differences of the locals, immigrants / expats, and occupiers, though I didn’t vibe with the Bitter Sisters / Vultures much. This type of story naturally comes with it’s fair share of undesirables from all camps, so there are definitely a big chunk of unlikeable characters.
And the magic! Understated, both eerily beautiful as well as sinister, and mostly subtle but knit throughout the fabric of this world and others we hear about - the curses in particular were one of my favorite things in the book.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an eARC of this book!</i>

An interesting world but the plot didn't wow me as much as I wanted it to. It was also my first Tchaikovsky novel, so maybe my expectations were too high. I'm still excited to explore more of his works.

I know Tchaikovsky a much respected writer of epic Sci fi so I wasceager to read him for first time. It's serious and almost dry .. tracking all the fully developed and numerous characters is hard work, and then also locations, and differingvagendas .. hard to sustain attentions for duration( at least for me) .. so I remain an admirer but not a devoted fan .. perhaps I come too late in!